Tape dispenser and applicator



1956 B. w. LAVERTY ,7 7,

TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLICAT'dR Filed May 6, 1954 zs eerssheet 1 30 I8 INVENTOR. r BEN7ON W LAVERT) mBY Oct. 23, 1956 5. w. LAVERTY I TAPE DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1954 INVENTOR. BENTON W LAVERTY BY 44 Ma, WW4

flTTOP/VEI J United States Patent 2,767,872 TAPE DISPENSER APPLICATOR Benton W. Lave m. San Francisco, Calif. Application May 6', 1954, Serial No. 427,936 4 Claims. Cl. 216-22 This invention relates to a tape dispenser and applicater for said tape, the. tape being of the type having an dhes on Q es de. f e i he pe to n object, and one of the objects of the invention is the provision of a. t p di pe er a na e the. u of u h. ap to quickly and easily withdraw .any desired length of such tape from a roll; thereof that is carried by the dispenser, and to sever such length from said ro'll leaving an end portion of the tape that is withdrawn from said roll, but not .severed therefrom, with its adhesive covered si de exposed for attaching to another object.

In explanation of the above, the conventional tape holders tha ca y l f tape or withdrawal f the tape therefrom usually provide a cutter for the tape, but the portion of tape between the cutter and the roll and direc ly adjoining the cutter is secured against a rigid portion of the holder and is not accessible for adhering to. an object. The user must first loosen the end of the tape from the holder before it can be adhered to an object. With the present invention no such operation is necessary since the adhesive at the end of the tape is always exposed for direct adherence to an object.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tape dispenser and applicator for tape of the type having an ever tacky adhesive on one side, and which dispenser is provided with an applicator for pressing the adhesive side of said tape against the desired object while the tape is being withdrawn from a holder therefor, and which applicator carries a cutter that is adapted to sever the tape at a point adjacent to the point where the applicator presses the tape against the object.

An additional object is the provision of a tape applicator that is adapted to be quickly applied to a con-. ventional holder for a roll of tape without altering such holder in any degree, and thereafter the applicator pro: vides the, holder with means for applying the tape to an object and a cutter for severing the tape at the Point of app icati n th eo to said surf ce.

T e ype of ape m st u bl o use. with th p sen i ent on he so called. Scot h ape, whic he eto or has been difficult to handle due to the stickiness of the adhesive and its extreme flexibility and tendency to curl a d o stick to i se b re a chan e i fe ed t apply the tape to th place. wh e it s q ired, u the more, ifi u y s e p ien ed ne lly in apply n th ape n. P ecisely he pla e i nd beca eof the fac t at the slightes t accidental touching of the adhesive covered side to the object results in quick adhesion to such object and the flexibility of the tape makes it diificult to prevent such accidental touching of the tape to a point on the object where it is not intended.

Other Qbjects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional and part elevational view of a device'illustrative of the invention,

Fig. 2., is a fragmentary sectional view of the outer ice tape applying end of the device of Fig, ii in. a position actuating the cutting blade for severing the tape,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3g of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a port-ion of the device of Fig 1 as seen from line 4.-4 of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is .an exploded view of the elements of the at tachment that are adapted to be combined with theconventional holder of Fig. 6 for forming the improved dispenser and applicator.

Fig. 6 is aside elevational view of a conventional dis: penser and holder for tape.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8, is a side elevational view of the dispenser and applicator of Fig. -1 showing it in a hand of an operator with a finger of such hand actuating the cutter for severing the tape.

In detail, the conventional tape holder with which the present applicator is adapted to be combined, is shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. shows -a cross-sectional view of the holder of Fig. 6, but with the applicator held in the holder. Said holder is a hollow housing, generally designated '1, having opposedly opening sides 2 3 (Fig. 7) withtelescopically engaging opposedly directed hub sections '4, 5 respectively, said hub sections being in frictional engagement for holding the halves together and for rota-tably supporting a conventional roll 6, of adhesive tape on said hub sections. This housing is cut away at one side to provide an outlet for a length '8 of tape therefrom, and the housing has an ear 9 adjacent to the outlet and outwardly of the latter over which the length 8 of tape is adapted to extend. This ear 9 (Fig. 1)"carries a tooth edge cutter 10 for severing the length of tape 8, and the severed edge of the tape normally terminates at the cutter 10 with the portion adjoining the cutter adhered to a fiat surface carried by said ear 9.

All the above is conventional, and in order to use the tape the operator must first manually pull the end free from the surface on car '9 and then pull a length of the tape from the roll and thereafter move the tape against the cutter 10 to sever it and to reattach the terminating end portion of the tape to the ear. While a length of the tape between the roll 6 and ear 9 is not adhered to anything, this portion is not accessible for securing the tape to an object until the end is pulled past the ear.

To open the housing 1 and to remove the exhausted roll and to replace it with a new roll is quickly done by merely pulling the halves of the housing apart. The cutter on car 9 irictionally fits into complementary recesses in the halves .and hub sections 4, '5 -frictiona'1ly fit together. Otherwise there is nothing to hold the halves 2, '3 together, but when the holder is in use, it is held in one hand of a user in a manner that tends to keep the halves together so there is no danger from accidental separation,

Fig, 5 clearly shows the elements that are combined with the holder of Fig. '6, and from this view it will be seen that a body '15 is provided, which body has an extension 16 projecting therefrom. The body 15 is formed to fit Within one of the halves 2 of the housing, and it is formed with a laterally recessed side that opens into the open side of the half 2 so that the roll 6 may be, and is, received between body portion 15 and the side 2 of the housing with the extension 16 projecting through the outlet of side 2. The other half .3 of the housing fits over the'body portion 15 of the applicator of Fig. 5

and said body 15 is apertured at 17 for the hub sections 4, 5. A part 18 of the body 15 extends into the hollow ear 9 of the housing 1, hence the said body 15 is securely held within the housing and becomes part of the holder,

free and this length is v In fact, the frictional fit of body 15 in the half 2 of the housing would be adequate in itself to form a holder for the roll, without the half 3, but the use of both halves is preferably where body 1 does not have ahub section corresponding to section 5. 2

It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the extension 16 clears the cutter 10, hence the latter in no way interferes with the new structure, although it does not perform a cutting function.

This extension 16 normally projects laterally from the holder 1 and is formed on its underside with a downwardly opening channel 20 (Fig. 3) within which the length 21 of the tape extends from roll 6, said length 21 substantially corresponding to the length 8 shown in Fig. 6, except it is longer since it extends the full length of extension 16.

Adjacent to the outer end of channel 20, and spaced a substantial distance outwardly of the housing or body, is a member 22 that is rigid with said extension and that extends to about the center of channel 20 (relative to its width) and which is spaced below said channel. The length 21 of the tape extends between member 22 and the bottom of channel 20 and has a rib 23 over which the tape 21 extends and adjacent to rib 23 and between said rib and the holder or body 1 the bottom of the channel 20 has a slight transverse ridge 24. The rib 23 prevents the tape from sagging out of the channel 20 and the ridge 24 tends to prevent the section 25 of tape 21 that is outwardly of the rib and toward the outer end of the extension from curling downwardly.

The bottom of the channel 20 at its outer end remote from the holder 1 terminates in a rounded corner 26 that may be smooth but that is preferably grooved at 27 (Fig. 4) to reduce the frictional resistance between the tape and said corner. The surface of the corner between said grooves is smooth and forms a tape engaging surface that is adapted to engage the side of the tape that is opposite to the tacky side, and to press the tape against the surface to which the tape is to be applied.

In operation, the tape is initially drawn in the channel 20 from roll 6 with the outer end of the tape extending below the curved corner 26. By pressing curved corner surface 26 against the tape and maintaining said pressure while the holder and the extension are moved in direction away from said outer end of the tape, the tape will be automatically withdrawn from the roller and adhere to the surface 29 (Fig. 1) against which the tape is pressed. The next step would be to sever the tape, and the structure for doing this will now be explained.

The major length of the extension 16, starting from its outer end, is formed in two pieces. There is a lower piece 30 that is integral with the main body 15, and an upper piece 31 (Fig. 3).

These two pieces are elongated longitudinally of the extension and are formed with opposedly opening recesses 32, 33 (Figs. 3, on their opposed sides that form a central, axially extending bore 34 (Fig. 2) that is closed at its inner end by a shoulder 35 integral with the lower piece 30.

The opposedly facing sides of the lower piece 30 and of the upper piece 31 have complementarily formed grooves 37 and flanges 38 that are parallel and that extend longitudinally of the extension 16 for securing the pieces 30, 31 together. The upper piece 31 can be slid on and otf the piece 30, and it abuts shoulder 35 when on the latter piece, and there is adequate frictional resistance between the pieces to hold the piece 31 onto piece 30 unless piece 31 is forcefully removed.

The flanges 38 terminate at their outer ends a distance from the outer end of piece 31 and an end wall 40 is on piece 31 spaced outwardly of the terminating ends of the flanges. Also the inner sides of the piece 31 are cut away between the ends of the flanges and said end wall and the lower piece is likewise cut away outwardly of the outer ends of recesses 38, as at 41 (Fig. 5) to form an enlarged space 42 (Figs. 1, 2) that is preferably at last equal to the width of tape 21.

This end wall is formed with a horizontally extending slot 43 (Fig. 5) the upper and lower sides of which are slanted downwardly from the outer side of the wall 40.

Disposed in the bore 34 that is formed by the recesses 32, 33 is a compression coil spring 45 (Fig. 1). Extending into the outer end of said spring, which is the end remote from the shoulder 35 against which the inner end of the spring abuts, is a rod-like shank 46 having a collar 47 rigid therewith and adjacent to but spaced from the outer end of said shank 46. The outer end of spring 45 abuts this collar 47, and the collar, in turn, normally abuts the wall 40.

Wall 40 is preferably notched or recessed along the upper side of the slot 43 for the outer end of the shank 46 to extend outwardly of the wall 40 (Fig. 2).

Secured to the outer end of shank 46 is a cross head 49 (Fig. 5). Thus the shank and head 49 form a T with the cross head being the head of the T.

When the upper piece 30 is secured on lower piece 31, the outer end of said lower piece, which extends from the curved corner surface 26, is spaced a slight distance from the inner side of the lower edge of the wall 40, thus forming a slot 50 (Figs. 1, 2) that opens into the widened space 42.

A flat, curved tape cutting blade of spring metal 51 (Fig. 1) of substantially the width of the tape, extends through slots 40, 50. The end of the blade that extends through slot 40 is doubled back on itself as at 52 (Fig. 5) and around the cross head 49 of shank 46 to pivotally connect the blade to said cross head. The latter is slotted at 54 (Fig. 5) to prevent obstruction by shank 46 to swinging of the blade on said cross head, and the ends of the turned back portion 52 of blade 51 are curved upwardly as at 55 to enable the blade to be readily slipped onto said cross head.

The end of blade 51 that is opposite to the head 49 is preferably formed with a single central tape cutting point 56 and this pointed end is held in slot 50 when the collar 47 on shank 46 is against the wall 40. It should be pointed out that spring 45 is not under compression when collar 47 is against wall 46, but that movement of the shank axially toward the holder 1 would compress said spring.

The rounded bend in the blade 51 in which the head 49 is pivotally held has a rounded surface, and when the tape is pressed against the surface 29 and the holder is moved to lay the tape on said surface, the smooth rounded surface of the blade at said bend will also flatten or force the tape against said surface 29. By this it is seen that there are two tape pressing surfaces that are at opposite sides of the pointed end of the blade 51.

After the desired length of tape has been applied to the surface 29, the holder is swung upwardly about the rounded bend of blade 51 as a fulcrum, and then by pressing downwardly on blade 51 as seen in Fig. 2, the pointed cutting end of the blade will be moved outwardly of the slot 50 and will sever the tape. The portion 60 of the tape that is outwardly of the cutting edge of said blade (Fig. 2) is readily forced downwardly by drawing the rounded bend of the blade over the same. When the device is lifted from the work the blade will auto matically be retracted and the outer end of tape 21 will again be ready for pressing against an object or surface to which the tape is to be adhered.

Should it become desirable to change a blade, the latter can readily be removed from the cross head 49 and a new blade slipped into position.

No added screws, pins, clips or the like are required in the assembling of the present device nor are they required for holding the parts together.

In the event it is found desirable to merely pull a length of tape from the holder, this can be done as seen in Fig. 8 in which the fingers 62 are withdrawing such tape. The

forefinger 63 of the hand that holds the holder can readily press the cutter blade to sever the tape.

In normal operation the body 1 of the device fits in the palm of the hand 63 and the forefinger 65 of such hand will normally fall into a position on the upper side of the extension 16 above the tape engaging surface 26 so as to enable the operator to easily press the tape against the object to which the tape is to be adhered.

It has already been pointed out that the conventional tape holder shown in Fig. 6 is not altered in any way for accepting the body 1.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a hollow tape holder having a central hub adapted to support a roll of tape for rotation thereon and which holder has an outlet at one side for tape from such roll; said attachment comprising a main body centrally apertured for said hub and formed with a side recess directed axially of said hub for said roll, an extension on said body, said body being adapted to be fitted into said holder with the central aperture of said body coaxial with said hub and with said extension projecting through said outlet, means on said extension for supporting a length of tape extending from said roll and through said outlet when such roll is in said recess and on said hub, a tape engaging surface on the end of said extension remote from said body for pressing such length of tape against an object to which the tape is to be adhered, and a cutter on said outer end movable under force into cutting engagement with said tape for severing such tape at said outer end.

2. An attachment for a hollow tape holder having a central hub adapted to support a roll of tape, for rotation thereon and which holder has an outlet at one side for tape from such roll; said attachment comprising a main body centrally apertured for said hub and formed with a side recess directed axially of said hub for said roll, an extension on said body, said body being adapted to be fitted into said holder with the central aperture of said body coaxial with said hub and with said extension projecting through said outlet, means on said extension for supporting a length of tape extending from said roll and through said outlet when such roll is in said recess and on said hub, a tape engaging surface on the end of said extension remote from said body for pressing such length of tape against an object to which the tape is to be adhered, and a cutter on said outer end movable under force into cutting engagement with said tape for severing such tape at said outer end, said body including walls adapted to extend over the periphery of said roll and into engagement with said holder.

3. An attachment for a hollow tape holder having a central hub adapted to support a roll of tape for rotation thereon and which holder has an outlet at one side for tape from such roll; said attachment comprising a main body centrally apertured for said hub and formed with a side recess directed axially of said hub for said roll, an extension on said body, said body being adapted to be fitted into said holder with the central aperture of said body coaxial with said hub and with said extension projecting through said outlet, means on said extension for supporting a length of tape extending from said roll and through said outlet when such roll is in said recess and on said hub, a tape engaging surface on the end of said extension remote from said body for pressing such length of tape against an object to which the tape is to be adhered, and a cutter on said outer end movable under force into cutting engagement with said tape for severing such tape at said outer end, a spring in engagement with said cutter yieldably urging said cutter to an inoperative position out of cutting engagement with said tape, and said,

cutter being a blade having a smooth tape engaging surface in engagement with said tape for pressing the latter against the surface to which the tape is to be secured at a point spaced from said first mentioned tape engaging surface.

'4. A tape dispenser and applicator comprising: a holder for supporting a roll of tape having an evertacky side for rotation of said roll upon withdrawal of an outer length of tape from said roll, an elongated finger on said holder projecting laterally therefrom, a pair of separate tape engaging means on the outer end of said finger, one means of said pair being spaced further from said holder than the other and said pair being positioned for simultaneously engaging the back of such outer length of tape for pressing said tape against the object to which said tape is to be adhered, a cutter between said pair of means supported on said finger for movement from an inoperative position at one side of such length across said length, said one means of said pair being movable on said finger toward said holder upon application of pressure thereon in a direction toward said holder and rigid against said movement upon pressing the same against said tape in a direction transversely of the length of said finger, and means connecting said one means with said cutter for moving said cutter across said length upon movement of said one means axially of said finger in direction toward said holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,235,704 Gorbatenko et a1. Mar. 18, 1941 2,400,435 Nelson et al May 14, 1946 2,500,157 Deutsch Mar. 14, 1950 2,584,065 Taylor Jan. 26, 1952 2,666,544 Ho Chow Jan. 19, 1954 

